While many companies try to hide every little thing about their new products until launch day, OnePlus is not like everyone else, and before today’s launch of the OnePlus 9, the company had given away most of the details of its new phone. However, the event saw people from around the globe gather up, and marvel at the fine piece of engineering that the OnePlus 9 turned out to be.
The launch, which took the internet by storm hours before it actually started, marked the launch of three new smartphones– the OnePlus 9, OnePlus 9R and the OnePlus 9 Pro. However, the company left the OnePlus 9R out of today’s event, giving away just a slight glimpse of its price, and nothing else.
The event also heralded the arrival of OnePlus’ first smartwatch, the OnePlus Watch, which has been teased for years.
The main focus of today’s launch was the phone’s camera, which is not surprising, since the company recently announced its partnership with Hassleblad.
“The primary camera of the OnePlus 9 is able to bring out amazing color and detail. OnePlus cameras are better than ever before, giving our users one of the best camera experiences with the OnePlus 9 Pro,” said Jon Diele, Hasselblad VP.
The models of the OnePlus 9 series have been offered in two RAM and storage configurations each.
Starting with the OnePlus 9, the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage model has been priced at ₹49,999 with the 12GB RAM + 256GB storage variant costing ₹54,999. The device features a 6.55-inch full-HD+ (1,080×2, 400 pixels) display with a hole-punch cut out on the top left corner of the screen, along with three rear camera modules – a 48-megapixel primary lens, 50-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 2megapixel depth sensor. It is powered by the Snapdragon 888 chipset and runs on Android 11-based Oxygen OS UI, equipped with a 4,500 mAh battery.
The apex predator – OnePlus 9 pro – has been priced at ₹64,999 for the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage variant and ₹69,999 for the 12GB RAM + 256GB storage variant. The color options include Morning Mist, Pine Green, and Stellar Black. Its specifications include a 6.7-inch fluid AMOLED display with 1,440×3, 216 pixels resolution. The phone has a quad-camera array, consisting of a 48 megapixel Sony IMX789 primary sensor, a 50 megapixel Sony IMX766 ultra-wide, an 8-megapixel telephoto lens that offers 3.3x optical zoom, and a megapixel depth sensor. Moreover, it also houses a 16 MP front camera and is equipped with the same 4,500 mAh battery as the OnePlus 9.
The OnePlus 9 Pro has a curved edge display and an aluminum frame on the side. It comes with the Fluid Display 2.0 and consists of an LTPO display for better battery consumption and efficiency.
While the lens of the new Hasselblad version of the OnePlus 9 Pro comes from Sony, the color tuning has been done in partnership with Hasselblad, which is one of the most renowned names in the camera game.
Speaking about the OnePlus 9 Pro, Diele said, “We have taken our biggest leap in creating a great smartphone camera with this device. Over the years, smartphone camera technology has improved a lot, and developments in computational photography have really limits of what a smartphone camera can achieve. The camera system of the OnePlus 9 Pro is a huge opportunity for photographers out there.”
The OnePlus 9R model is the cheapest of the three, priced at ₹39,999 for the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage variant and will put a hole of ₹43,999 in your pocket for the 12GB RAM + 256GB storage variant. Thus, in essence, the phone has been launched for Nord users, who are willing to shell out a little more for extra features.
It is notable that the OnePlus 9 series costs significantly more than the OnePlus 8 series launched in April 2020. The vanilla OnePlus 8 started at ₹41,999 for the base variant with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage, though this model was exclusive to India. On the other hand, the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage variant started at ₹44,999. The OnePlus 8 Pro was priced at ₹54,999 for the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage variant.
However, compared to Apple and Samsung, OnePlus phones are still ‘budget friendly,’ and I am eager to get my hands on these new flagship devices.
